No Longer at Ease

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View books by Chinua Achebe, J. Milne.

I loved it - Rated
No Longer at Ease is beautifully written book about colonialism and the alienating influence it has on those Africans who lose touch with their roots as they try to adapt to the changing times. I enjoyed this rich, challenging and fascinating story. The Usurper and Other Stories, The Village of waiting, Disciples of Fortune, Anthills of the Savannah, Triple Agent Double Cross are some of the other African titles I enjoyed.

"A journey on a downward spiral with the protagonist." - Rated
I've acquired a taste for Achebe and his ways, but this lesser known work is the one that I've enjoyed most. The author has come under criticism from feminists for the relegation of women in his novels, but for me he is describing a reality rather than making value judgements himself.

Some of Achebe's literature is difficult for a twenty-first century Westerner to understand as it focuses so much on the traditional African ways of life, and perhaps this novel, set in the 1960's in the city of Lagos, is easier for us to comprehend. This book captured my full sympathies: it is easy to see the inevitability of corruption in the society Achebe is describing, and the reader is encouraged to journey on a downward spiral along with the protagonist. Thus the reader forms a bond with the youthful, intelligent and idealistic Obi and is left drenched with a sense of poignancy and anger.